German Air Fleets in World War II explained

A list of Luftwaffe "Luftflotten" (Air Fleets) and their locations between 1939 and 1945.^[1]

Timeline

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DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy # European date formatPeriod = from:01/01/1939 till:08/05/1945 #TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1939ScaleMinor = grid:blue unit:month increment:3 start:01/01/1939

PlotData= color:red width:10 bar:Luftflotte1 from:01/02/1939 till:08/05/1945 text: Luftflotte 1 bar:Luftflotte2 from:01/02/1939 till:29/09/1944 text: Luftflotte 2 bar:Luftflotte3 from:01/02/1939 till:26/09/1944 text: Luftflotte 3 bar:Luftflotte4 from:18/03/1939 till:21/04/1945 text: Luftflotte 4 bar:Luftflotte5 from:12/04/1940 till:08/05/1945 text: Luftflotte 5 bar:Luftflotte6 from:05/05/1943 till: 08/05/1945 text: Luftflotte 6 bar:LuftflotteReich from:05/02/1944 till: 08/05/1945 text: Luftflotte Reich

LineData = layer:front # all lines in front of bars unless stated otherwise at:01/09/1939 color:yellow

1939

Before the invasion of Poland.

Luftflotte 1 (Northeast Germany)
Luftflotte 2 (Northwest Germany)
Luftflotte 3 (Southwest Germany)
Luftflotte 4 (Southeast Germany and Austria)

1940

Luftwaffe Order of Battle August 1940.

Luftflotte 1 (Poland)
Luftflotte 2 (The Netherlands, Belgium, Northern Germany)
Luftflotte 3 (France, Luxembourg, Middle Germany)
Luftflotte 4 (Austria and Czech Republic)
Luftflotte 5 (Norway and Denmark)

1942

During operations on the Eastern and African fronts.

Luftflotte 1 (Russian Northern front)
Luftflotte 2 (North Africa, Southern Italy and Greece)
Luftflotte 3 (France, the Netherlands and Belgium)
Luftflotte 4 (Black Sea coast, Ukraine, the Caucasus)
Luftflotte 5 (Norway and Finland)
Luftflotte 6 (Central Russian front, Belarus)

1944

During the last stages of the Eastern front, the Balkans, North Italy and West area.

Luftflotte 1 (Baltic coasts)
Luftflotte 2 (Northern Italy)
Luftflotte 3 (France, Belgium and the Netherlands)
Luftflotte 4 (Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Romania)
Luftflotte 5 (Norway and Finland)
Luftflotte 6 (Russian Central front, Belarus)
Luftflotte Reich Deutschland (Germany)
Luftflotte 10 (Ergänzungs- und Ausbildungseinheiten; replacement and training units) (Berlin)

1945

During the last period of conflict on the European front.

Luftflotte 1 (Lithuania)
Luftflotte 2 (Northern Italy)
Luftflotte 3 (West Germany and the Netherlands)
Luftflotte 4 (Hungary and Yugoslavia)
Luftflotte 5 (Norway and Finland)
Luftflotte 6 (East Germany)
Luftflotte Reich (Central Germany)
Luftflotte 10 (Berlin)

Sources

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Luftflotten/Gliederung.htm Luftflotten